Japan Claims Russia Breached Its Airspace

Moscow Denies Accusation; China Also Rebuts Claims From Tokyo That It Locked Radar on Japanese Naval Forces

By

Chester Dawson in Tokyo and

Brian Spegele in Beijing

Updated Feb. 8, 2013 1:29 am ET

Japan said Russian fighter jets intruded on its airspace for the first time in five years, raising tensions between the two countries at the same time that Tokyo is engaged in a similar high-stakes tangle with China.

Russia quickly denied Japan's accusation, but the simultaneous spats underscore the regional security challenges faced by a new Japanese prime minister elected on a promise to toughen his country's defense of its islands. It comes as the U.S.—Japan's chief military ally—has vowed to raise its presence in Asia,...

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Japan said Russian fighter jets intruded on its airspace, raising tensions between the two countries at the same time that Tokyo is engaged in a similar territorial dispute with China. The WSJ's Chester Dawson has the story.